List of Famous people who died in 2017

Miguel Abensour was a French philosopher specializing in political philosophy. He was emeritus professor of political philosophy at the Paris Diderot University (Jussieu) and a former president of the Collège international de philosophie.

Arthur Murray Blythe was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a fast, wide vibrato and an aggressive, precise manner of phrasing" and furthermore as straddling the avant garde and traditionalist jazz, often with bands featuring unusual instrumentation.

Louis Boyer was a French physician and politician. He served as a member of the French Senate from 1974 to 2001, representing Loiret. He was also the mayor of Gien from 1959 to 1995.

Edward Tsanga was a Russian operatic bass-baritone at the Mariinsky Opera. His video recordings include roles in two operas under Valery Gergiev: as the tsar in Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tale of Tsar Saltan, and Platov in Rodion Shchedrin's The Left-Hander.

Bakhti Belaïb was an Algerian politician. He was born in Théniet El Had and educated at the Lycée Ferroukhi in Miliana. He served as the Algerian Ministry of Trade in 1982, and served as its Minister twice. He died of cancer in Paris, France.

Lonnie Brooks was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work." Jon Pareles, a music critic for the New York Times, wrote, "He sings in a rowdy baritone, sliding and rasping in songs that celebrate lust, fulfilled and unfulfilled; his guitar solos are pointed and unhurried, with a tone that slices cleanly across the beat. Wearing a cowboy hat, he looks like the embodiment of a good-time bluesman." Howard Reich, a music critic for the Chicago Tribune, wrote, "...the music that thundered from Brooks' instrument and voice...shook the room. His sound was so huge and delivery so ferocious as to make everything alongside him seem a little smaller."

Sydney Ball was an Australian abstract painter. He has been called ‘one of Australia’s leading colour abstract painters. He has also been credited with bringing large scale abstract expressionist paintings, or Color Field paintings, to Australia.

Ernst Vogt was a German classical philologist. He was a professor at the Universities of Mannheim (1967–1975) and Munich (1975–1999). Between 2002 and 2014 he served president of the International Thesaurus Commission.

Jean-Pierre Jorris was a French theatre actor.

Chikara Hashimoto , also known as Riki Hashimoto , was a Japanese professional baseball player and actor.